Wingspan: What inspired you to start track?

Gray: “So I wasn’t very good at any sports in middle school because I have terrible hand eye coordination, but I fell in love with running cross country and track in middle school and saw I had potential, so I carried on to high school.”

Wingspan: What keeps you motivated to stay in the sport?

Gray: “I have to remember how much I love running and all the joys that come with it. Sometimes I can get distracted with how sore my muscles are or how early I have to wake up in the morning. But I just have to remember why I started running, and ask God for His joy and His strength.”

Wingspan: What is the most difficult thing about track?

Gray: “The hardest thing about track is learning how to run with the pain and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. If you never get out of your comfort zone, you will never get faster, no matter how much you run.”

What is the biggest benefit of being in the sport?

Gray: “Running just makes you a healthier person in general, physically and emotionally. You have to eat right to get the right fuel to run, and after you run your body releases endorphins which makes you feel happier.”

Wingspan: What’s it like being on the team?

Gray: “I have been off and on varsity, but I can say that there is no division between us, we are one big family. We push each other in practice and encourage each other. We have a smaller team this year, but it has been really good for us because it has made us so much closer to each other.”

Wingspan: What pumps you up/motivates you before a meet?

Gray: “I like to listen to music before I run to pump me up, and I try not to get nervous and have fun. I give all my nervousness up to God because I trust that He will give me the strength to run my race.”

Wingspan: What is your pre-game ritual?

Gray: “I jog for about 7-10 minutes and listen to music. Then I stretch and get my spikes ready. I also pray before my race that God would be given all the glory no matter how I do.”